[Risk factors related to nosocomial pneumonia in pediatric patients undergoing heart surgery].

Background: Procalcitonin is a diagnostic marker useful to discern infections and non-infectious complications in heart surgeries. The aim is to describe risk factors related to nosocomial pneumonia and the predictive value of serum procalcitonin in pediatric patients undergoing heart surgery.

Methods: During a year a nested case-control study was carried out in a third level hospital.

Endoscopy for the initial suspicion of vascular rings in tracheoesophageal compressions: correlation with surgical findings.

Unlabelled: Vascular rings (VR) may produce extrinsic compression of trachea and/or esophagus. Diagnosis relies on nonspecific clinical data from resulting compression and image studies, mainly angiography, computed tomography, and cardiovascular MRI. Because of their low incidence, diagnosis is often missed.